Blumenthal to reintroduce act to combat suicide by vets

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Blumenthal to reintroduce act to combat suicide by vets

HARTFORD–Sen. Richard Blumenthal announced his plans on Tuesday to reintroduce a bill to combat the issue of military suicides.

“So that we can offer more psychiatric help, more community outreach, more online services, more help for veterans of all wars,” Blumenthal said at a press conference at the state Legislative Office Building.

The bill, entitled the Clay Hunt Suicide Prevention for American Veterans Act, was first introduced by Sen. John McCain (R-Arizona) and had bipartisan support in the House and Senate in the last Congress, Blumenthal said. However, Blumenthal claims passage in the Senate was blocked by one person, retired Oklahoma Republican Tom Coburn.

Blumenthal hopes to have Congress take up the bill in two to three weeks.

“These stories are tragic and they are unacceptable in the greatest nation in the history of the world,” he said.